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The Mexican-American War (1846-1848): Part II

© Hans Hereijgers

At the time Slidell was forced to leave Mexico, an American army, led by General Zachary Taylor, already found itself at the southern border of Texas. However, on April 24, 1846, the Mexicans were the first to cross that very border. In an ambush, 16 soldiers of an American army unit were either wounded or killed. President Polk declared war on Mexico, for American blood had been shed on American soil and all U.S. attempts at reconciliation had been left unanswered.

Soon thereafter General Taylor crossed the Rio Grande with his army and succeeded in taking the city of Matamoros, after which other major Mexican cities in the north would follow.

President Polk also sent troops to California and New Mexico, which, a few years before, he had tried to purchase from Mexico. Commodore Sloat experienced few problems in seizing California, where Mexican authority was feeble and where many white inhabitants welcomed them. General Kearny succeeded in taking Santa Fe on August 18, 1846, after which he advanced west to California, where he joined Sloat's successor, Commodore Stockton. By early 1847, Americans had achieved their main strategic goal: control of northern Mexico.

In the meantime, however, Santa Anna, who had come back from exile (helped by the Americans to whom he had promised to try and obtain peace between both nations), had regained power in Mexico and was training an army of over 20,000 men in an attempt to oppose the invaders. The peace offered by the Americans was not accepted, because it would imply the loss of the north.

President Polk, in order to force the Mexicans to surrender, decided to attack Mexico where it hurt the most: the capital. General Winfield Scott was sent to Veracruz in order to take possession of the port, from which he would proceed to Mexico City. Santa Anna, who had been informed of the American intentions, hastened with his army to the north in an attempt to crush General Taylor's army before the Americans got hold of Veracruz. He was defeated and driven back, however, by an army one fourth the size of the Mexican army (cf. the battle of Buena Vista on February 23, 1847). Santa Anna rushed back to the south to defend the capital.

Scott took possession of Veracruz on March 9, 1847, and started his march to Mexico City, much like Hernan Cortés had done more than 300 years before. Scott, too, would fight many fierce battles, the bloodiest of all being the ones of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, and Molino del Rey. The U.S. army was far superior as far as artillery and tactics were concerned. It also had a firm leadership, which was not the case in the other camp.

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